Salted Caramel Buttercream Icing Tutorial

By cindyandmojo

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 T water
• 2 t light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1 t vanilla
• 1 t salt
• 2 lb powdered sugar
• 2 sticks butter, softened

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from tikkido.com

Preparation

Step 1

I generally choose salty treats over sweet ones, but when you combine sweet and salty...holy cow, I'm in heaven!

The first step is to make the luscious homemade salted caramel that makes this icing recipe better than all others out there (in my caramel-and-salt-loving opinion).

Start by mixing the water, corn syrup, and the granulated sugar together in a very small saucepan.  Why corn syrup AND granulated sugar, you ask?  Because the corn syrup, while not strictly necessary to make homemade caramel, will help inhibit the creation of sugar crystals.  Sugar wants to be in crystals, but we don't want it to be for our caramel.  Adding the corn syrup to the mix, even in such a small quantity, really makes this a pretty foolproof recipe.

Bring the water and sugar mixture to a boil over medium heat, but DO NOT STIR.  Stirring also encourages crystallization.  Cook until the water and sugar mixture caramelizes into the beautiful golden brown color in the photo just above.  It happens quickly once the sugar starts browning, so don't walk away from the stove during this step!

Remove the caramelized sugar syrup from heat, and mix in the cream, vanilla, salt, and lemon juice (or vinegar).  The acid is another optional ingredient--the caramel doesn't

it in a chemical sense--but it does brighten the flavor and make it taste even more amazing.   Stir to combine.

Note:  this caramel sauce also makes an awesome ice cream topping at this stage!

Once the caramel sauce is completely cool, combine the softened butter, powdered sugar, and caramel together in a mixer (oh

Kitchenaid stand mixer

, I love you so) and beat until a smooth, glorious buttercream icing.  If the icing is too stiff, add just a bit of milk, cream, or water (just a bit at a time) until the icing is the perfect consistency for your needs.

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